Gavin Esler

Gavin Esler (born Glasgow, 27 February 1953) is a BBC television presenter, currently one of the five main presenters on BBC Two's flagship political analysis programme, "Newsnight".

Early life

Esler was educated at George Heriot's School, Edinburgh. He later gained a BA in English and American literature from the University of Kent and a further MA in Anglo-Irish literature from the University of Leeds in 1975 [cite web
url = http://tldynamic.leeds.ac.uk/leedsyorkshire/graduates/media.asp
title = Who's been here ! Media
accessdate = 2007-01-06
author = University of Leeds
authorlink = University of Leeds] . He first entered journalism on the "Belfast Telegraph" in 1976.

Broadcasting career

Esler joined the BBC in 1977 as Northern Ireland reporter, and extended his role upon joining "Newsnight" in 1982. Esler was then made Washington correspondent and later chief North America correspondent for the BBC, in charge of shaping coverage across the whole continent for the corporation, and covering both the earlier George H. W. Bush and Clinton administrations. His report on the military build up in the Aleutian islands as part of the Reagan administration's New Maritime Strategy earned him a Royal Television award.

Esler's journalistic credentials extend further across the globe, however: he has reported for news and documentary programmes across Europe, Russia, China and North and South America.

Esler then left reporting to present for several years during the mid 1980s on BBC One's regional news programme for London and the South East of England - "Newsroom South East".

Esler then joined BBC News (then known as "BBC News 24") from its outset, presenting its primetime slot alongside Sian Williams for several years.

In January 2003 Esler joined Newsnight, replacing Jeremy Vine, who left to take over from Jimmy Young on Radio 2.

Esler also presents "Dateline London" on BBC News and BBC World News most Sunday mornings at 11am. He also presents the "BBC News at Five O'Clock" on the BBC News channel on Fridays and when Huw Edwards is away. Esler also hosts Radio 4 factual series, "Four Corners" along with fellow Scottish broadcaster, Anne MacKenzie. This is broadcast on Monday afternoons.

Esler is also the author of three novels - "Loyalties", "Deep Blue" and "The Blood Brother". He has also written a book on American discontent, "The United States of Anger", published in October 1997 (Penguin). He writes a regular column for "The Scotsman", "The Independent" and other publications.

He is married with two children and his hobbies include camping, hiking and skiing.

Criticism

Ronald Reagan

In a 2004 eulogy for Ronald Reagan in the Daily Mail, Gavin Esler wrote, "Ronald Wilson Reagan embodied the optimistic belief that problems can and will be solved, that tomorrow will be better than today, and that our children will be wealthier and happier than we are." On Newsnight 9 June 2004, Esler commented, Ronald Reagan was "a man who was loved even by his political opponents in this country [America] and abroad...Many people believe that he restored faith in American military action after Vietnam through his willingness to use force, if necessary, in defence of American interests." [http://www.medialens.org/alerts/07/070926_i_fascist_robot.php i_fascist_robot] ] Journalist John Pilger noted, "When even Gavin Esler eulogises Ronald Reagan, we're in trouble". [cite web | title=John Pilger Reading List | url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200406280004 | accessdate=2006-10-12 ]

Galloway interview

In 2005 Gavin Esler interviewed George Galloway on Newsnight on the subject of the London bombings. The BBC was reported to have received hundreds of complaints about Esler's interview. The criticism was that Gavin Esler's questioning was "rude and aggressive". [cite web | title=Ungallant to Galloway? | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ifs/low/newsid_4670000/newsid_4673400/4673451.stm | accessdate=2006-10-12 ]

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/3094305.stm Gavin Esler BBC Profile]
* [http://www.medialens.org/alerts/07/070926_i_fascist_robot.php I, (fascist) robot - the BBC’s Gavin Esler lets rip] Gavin Esler correspondences with Media Lens

References